Switch actuator for model railroads



Apr-H 1, 1952 Q HEWETT 2,591,152

SWITCH ACTUATOR FOR MODEL RAILROAD-S Filed April 29, 1946 OSCAR C HEM/E77 INVENTOR..

Patented Apr. 1, 1952 QFFICE SW'iTClil ACTUATOR FOR MODEL RAILBOADS Gscar C. Hewett, Fort W'erth, Tex.

Application April 29, 1946, Serial No. 665,691

1 Claim.

This invention relates to electrical actuating devices, and has particular reference to an actuator which may be adapted for use'in model railroads.

One object of the invention is to provide an efiicient switch actuator which has its operating parts mounted beneath the table on which the model railroad is set up, thus lending realism to the miniature arrangement.

Another object of the invention is to provide an actuator which will lock the movable switch points of a model railroad in either position, or will actuate other devices such as switch stands and the like, yet one which is easily operated and with relatively little electrical energy.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical actuator of the solenoid type which includes a mechanical advantage between the point of application of power and the point of delivery, such as at the tiebar of a railroad switch.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in addition to the locking feature referred to, a movement of the solenoid armature before switch operation so as to gain the advantage of kinetic energy thus created.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the new actuator.

Figure 2 is a broken perspective View of the central portion of the actuator armature, the vertical, shaft, and the lever arm co-acting therebetween.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 2, and illustrates the various operating positions in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a miniature railroad switch, and showing the con .ection between the upper lever and shaft of the present invention with the tiebar of the switch.

Accordingly, the new actuator includes a square tube I of non-ferrous or other material not affected by magnetic lines of force, such as brass, and in which there is slidably positioned an armature 2 of ferrous or other magnetizable material, which armature is square or rectangular in cross section. A mounting bracket 3 in the form of an inverted U, and of non-magnetic sheet material encloses the central portion of the tube I in the manner shown in Figure l.

Wound around the extending ends of the tube I there are solenoids 6 and 5 and connected as shown in the drawings. Each solenoid 4 and 5 includes containers 6 and l at each end and which containers 6 and 7 are mounted around and retained by the ends of the tube I.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the central upper face of the armature 2 is provided with a V-shaped groove 8, and which groove includes laterally extendin portions at the outer ends thereof to form shoulders 9. The described groove arrangement includes a projecting triangular portion I 0 between the sides of the V, and which portion is an important part of the invention, as will be seen in the description of operation.

Extending upwardly from the upper surface of the central bracket 3, and to the side of the longitudinal center of the tube I, there is a collar I i which is secured to the said bracket and having thereabove a freely rotatable flange collar i2, both of which collars ro-tatably receive a vertical shaft I3. The flange collar i2 is provided with holes M for screwing the flange of the said collar to the upper surface of a table (not shown). Similarly, the bracket 3 is provided with other holes l5 for securing the same to the under surface of the table.

The lower end of the shaft I3 is provided with a rigidly secured lever or arm I6 having a downwardly projecting pin I? at its outer end, and which pin is engaged by the previously referred to groove 8 in the armature 2. Although not shown in the drawings, the tube I is opened at this point to accommodate the arm it.

At the upper end of the shaft l3 there is another arm !8 having a set screw is in its side for engaging the said shaft. By this arrangement the relative angular position may be varied to adjust the throw of the model railroad switch, to be described. Also, the upper arm I8 is provided with a multiple of holes Illa at various distances from the shaft It so as to adjust the leverage of the throw.

Referring now to Figure i, wherein a switch for a model railroad is shown to illustrate an application of the present actuator, the end of the shaft is is shown and the upper arm ill illustrated in its operating position. It will not be necessary to describe all of the switch in detail, be it sufficient to say that the same includes branched parallel tracks 2t, and hingedly movable switch points 2| of conventional construction positioned therebetween. The switch points 2i are moved in unison by a tiebar 22 connected thereto, and which tiebar is connected by a link 23 to the upper arm i8.

Referring now to Figure 2, a helical compression spring 24 is shown mounted around the lower end of the vertical shaft 53 and above referred to. As particularly shown in Figure 3,

the position of the lower pin I1 against the shoulder 9 of the groove 8 looks the shaft 13 against torque applied to the latter. Upon energizing the solenoids 4 and 5, the armature 2 is caused to move to one of its extreme positions. In so doing the armature 2 moves approximately the width of the groove 8, whereafter the triangular projection 10 strikes the said pin, and by reason of its angular position,

moves the pin ll along one side of the groove 8.

After reaching the center of the V, the other side of the groove 8 engages the pin IT, and

carries the same to the groove of the shoulder 9, v

thus locking the arm 16 in its other thrown posi tion. To reverse the position of the actuator,

the armature is merely moved in the opposite direction by reversing the direction of fiow in the solenoids 3 and 5, whereupon similar but converse actions take place between the lower arm pin I! and the V groove 8.

What I claim is:

An actuator for a model railroad switch to be mounted on the surface of a table, said actuator comprising a mounting bracket adapted to be secured to the lowersurface of said table, a solenoid supported by said bracket, a fiat bar armature forming a part of said solenoid and slidably mounted therein, a V-shaped groove in said armature, said groove including laterally extending portions at the outer ends thereof, a vertical shaft extending upwardly above said armature and adapted to extend upwardly above the upper surfaces of said table,'bearing means rotatably supporting said shaft, an arm secured to the lower end of said shaft and engaged by said groove, and an upper arm mounted on said shaft above said table top adapted to be operatively connected with said model railroad switch.

OSCAR C. HEWETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 166,064 Blake July 2'7, 1875 179,000 Coriell et al. June 20, 1876 809,693 Johnston Jan. 9, 1906 829,842 Carpenter Aug. 28, 1906 1,362,205 Waldron et a1 Dec. 14, 192i: 2,082,133 W'yant June 1, 1937 

